This morning 11 young women became the first graduates of a new licensed practical nursing program intended to help address Virginia’s and the nation’s shortage of available nurses.
The Blue Ridge Job Corps Center honored the graduates at a ceremony held on Dec. 12. The graduation was the culmination of an 18-month program that included training in areas such as anatomy, nutrition, gerontology, psychiatry, pharmacology and children’s health. Four of the graduates have already passed the Virginia Board of Nursing exam, and the remaining women are scheduled to take the exam this month.
“I am so proud of these young women,” said Linda Watson, practical nursing program director. “They’ve worked hard to prepare themselves for a career that’s both challenging and rewarding.”
The current demand for qualified, full-time nurses is significantly higher than the supply of available nurses in Virginia and nationwide. Gov. Tim Kaine created the Health Reform Commission in 2006 to research the Commonwealth’s current health care system and recommend ways to improve it. One of the recommendations of the Commission’s final report was to increase nursing education capacity. The Blue Ridge Job Corps Center has addressed this call by preparing, training and graduating licensed practical nurses.
“The LPN program has changed my point of view on life,” said Yamslee Vega, a graduate of the program. “I’m so grateful.”
Students came from all over the country to participate in the program. The graduates are:
Vanessa Alvarado, Marietta, Ga.
Katie Amrein, Cincinnati, Ohio
Alietha Blacknall, Henderson, N.C.
Shavon Boone, Edgewood, Md.
Alice Buchanan, Chilhowie, Va.
Dieudonne Joseph, Miami Beach, Fla.
Fatima Koroma, Alexandria, Va.
Rachel Paul, Raleigh, N.C.
Nataly Sanchez, Carol City, Fla.
Jacoya Stoves, Birmingham, Ala.
Yamslee Vega, Temple, Pa.
“We are facing a major nursing shortage in this country,” said Lynn Intrepidi, U.S. Department of Labor Regional Director of the Job Corps Philadelphia Region. “The talents and skills these students have developed at Job Corps are sorely needed.”
According to a 2006 report by the Health Resources and Services Administration, the nation’s nursing shortage is expected to reach more than 1 million nurses by the year 2020. This shortage is expected to affect all 50 states to varying degrees by 2015.
Job Corps is increasingly adjusting its training programs to align with industry and employer standards and certifications. The program’s intention is to assist its students in attaining high-income career placements in high-growth fields. Each year Job Corps trains more than 60,000 students ages 16 through 24 at 122 centers across the country. For more information about Job Corps, call (800) 733-JOBS or visit http://jobcorps.dol.gov.
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